Extrinsic Souls II: Unmasking the Arcanum
by Aurora Marie Williams
Summary: Dani makes a startling discovery about Dash's past, specifically his father, when she is forced to overshadow him to save his life. Now she's caught in a web of intrigue as she tries to decipher more about his past. Meanwhile, Dash is coming dangerously close to uncovering Danielle's secret. Will their secrets bring them closer together or tear them apart? Sequel to Extrinsic Souls
1. Butterflies

**Author's Note: Flameo, Hotman! (Name that reference!) This is just a cute little something I decided to write because there are so few stories out there that are focused on the Dani x Dash (or Danish, as I call it) pairing. The POV will always be third person (unless otherwise requested) limited to Dash and/or Dani. Both of their thoughts are expressed, but not any other characters' thoughts are.**

**This story is in the same time line as my sequel to Extrinsic Souls meaning all events that happen here happen in the sequel. It is not necessary to read the first book of Extrinsic Souls, nor the sequel to understand this story.**

**I'd also like to mention that I wrote this with Matthew Pride. He's the one who**** encouraged me while we wrote this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not, and never will, own Danny Phantom. Danny Phantom is owned by Viacom International and Butch Hartman. Yes, this is a disappointing Disclaimer. For those of you who read stories solely for the purpose of finding enjoyment from Disclaimers, sorry to disappoint you. I promise these will be much more entertaining in the the future!**

**Claimer: (First of all, is that a real thing?) (Second,) I do own the plot line of this story. If you want to borrow anything for your story, send me a PM to let me know you'd like to include my storyline in your fanfiction. Thanks!**

**All feedback is welcome. Seriously, if you totally hate something in this story, don't be afraid to tell me about it. I don't care if you flame the heck out of this. Be as critical as you want or don't want to be. I'm using this story to become a better writer, so let me know how I can improve myself. Use word hits! (i.e. PUNCH! SMACK! SLAM! KICK!) One of my favorite authors, ItTicklesLikeCrazy (and also the phenomenal, marvelous, mind-boggling beta reader for this story) recommends using these. **

**Because those are the bomb dot com.**

_**Chapter One: Butterflies**_

Studying himself in his mirror, Dash straightened the collar on his ice blue dress shirt... for the sixth time. He was nervous about the date – _was_ it a date? – he'd asked Dani on. He had even studied for it. Actually did legitimate research online. He didn't even do that for school!

Albeit he didn't care that much about school (even though he knew that he should), and he cared a great deal about this evening going well. He read online that girls were attracted more to men wearing blue. That was the reason for the dress shirt that matched his eyes perfectly. Maybe with the magical, eye-catching blue Dani wouldn't find him _entirely _repulsive. He wasn't entirely sure why she was giving him the time of day in the first place...

In order to spruce up his appearance, he decided to stray from the normal black; he wore white trousers and shoes that matched his silk tie (that was finally tied after several failed attempts). The blonde carefully leaned in closer to his mirror to examine how his hair was laying while he ran a shaky hand through the locks.

Contrary to popular belief, Dash lacked the confidence everyone saw in him. He could always punch his way out of every problem he ran into at school, but things were different at home. So one night a couple weeks ago when Dash got tired of hearing his mom scream at him in a drunken stupor about getting his grades up, he stormed out of the house, fists clenched, and went to the only place he knew refuge. The train station. It was the first destination Dash and his dad would go to when they were leaving for another country. Dash had loved those trips, even if it was solely for the purpose of his fathers job.

But now his father was gone. Disappeared as surely as a vanishing act. Only it wasn't a magic trick. This was real life.

Every time things got tough, Dash went to the train station. The bittersweet memories of his father cooled him down and restored something in him that he couldn't pin down exactly. What he hadn't expected to find at the train station was a girl, not much younger than him, pacing back in forth in an anxious manner. He had studied her curiously as she plopped down on a shiny cobalt blue bench and rested her chin on her hands.

Self-confidence may have eluded him other times, but now Dash felt fearless. It may have been the undeniable effect that train station had on him, but Dash felt something else he hadn't felt before. Like an imaginary force pushing him to the girl. He'd sat down beside her, and the raven haired girl casually looked up. Her jaw dropped as she took him in. Before he lost his nerve, Dash spoke to her.

_"Hey," Dash said. "Are you new? I don't think I've seen you around before."_

_"Um, yeah, I am actually. Just moved here recently from Wisconsin." Her vivid blue eyes fluttered nervously as she glanced away.  
_

_"So you didn't live too far away from here then?" Dash gave her a small smile. "I'm Dash by the way." He extended a hand towards her._

_Dani shook it, eyeing him cautiously and said, "Danielle."_

_Dash cocked his head. "Now that I think about it, you look really familiar. Are you sure you just moved here?"_

_"Well, I _do _look an awful lot like my brother, Danny."_

_"You mean, Danny _Fenton_?" That didn't make any sense!_

_"The one and only," she confirmed._

_"I thought he only had one sister?" _

_"Well, the Fentons adopted me recently," she explained. "My parents were related to Maddie and Jack. One day they went out to the grocery store, and they got into a crash. They didn't make it out, so Maddie and Jack took me in." There was a deep sadness in her voice.  
_

_"I'm sorry. My dad was always going on business trips to other countries. One time he never came back. Mom went a little crazy afterward, and she started drinking. She really doesn't even notice I'm there most of the time, so it's like I really don't have parents either." There was a slight shake in his voice. Dash cleared his throat, hating that he'd let his guard down like that in front of this girl._

_"At least you only have three more years to endure it. Then you can move out and live on your own." Dani smiled at him sympathetically._

_"Yeah, I suppose. But I'll always feel like I need to take care of Mom and – wait a second. How did you know I only had three more years of high school?" Dash furrowed his eyebrows and gave her a suspicious look._

_You just look that age. Fifteen, right?" Dash could see her chewing on the insides of her cheeks._

_"Oh, yeah." He knew she was hiding something. "So, will I see you at school?"_

_"Possibly," Dani replied as they both stood up from the bench._

_"Well, I'll see you around," Dash said. He smiled again at her and turned around. Suddenly he heard laughter behind him coming from Danielle. Dash turned to face her again and asked what was so funny._

_"You – you're – jack – et!" Danielle told him in between breaths as tears began running down her face. He drug a hand across his lower back and when he brought his hand back around he saw it covered in blue paint!_

_"Aww, man! My new jacket! Wait, what about yours?" Dash inquired innocently, not missing the chance to poke fun at the girl._

_Dani slapped a hand to her upper back and looked at her cerulean colored hand. The two began laughing uncontrollably and after several minutes stopped and looked at each other._

_"I better get going," Dash said. He was sad that he had to leave so soon, but his mom would probably call the police if he didn't show back up at home soon._

_"See you around, Dash."_

_"See you around, Danielle." He walked away with a slight skip in his step._

_"You can call me Dani! With an "I"!" She called to him._

_He walked backwards as he smiled and waved. Dani waved back with a reflection of his smile on her face._

Dash cleared the memory from his head. Turning to view himself in several different angles, Dash took in a deep breath and sighed with the sound of self-approval, hoping desperately he wouldn't mess this up.

"What do you think, Pooky?" Dash asked his little Jack Russel terrier. He crawled out from under Dash's bed, looked his owner up and down, and yipped with delight. Dash smiled and knelt down to scratch his companion behind the ears.

"I'll be back home soon, m'kay buddy?" Dash reached into his mini fridge to retrieve a bottle of water that he poured Pooky's bowl. He goodbye to him, but only after submitting to the puppy-dog-eyes look and giving Pooky a bacon strip treat.

Grabbing his Letterman jacket (force of habit) even though it didn't match his attire, and the keys to his Taurus, he exited his bedroom.

Walking past the living room on his way out the door, he spoke softly to a haggard looking woman sitting on a couch in a similar looking state. She was watching TV with her head resting heavily on her fist, her eyes bloodshot.

"I'm going out, but I'll be back soon, okay, Mom?"

The woman slowly turned her head towards the boy. She spoke in a gruff monotone. "That's what your father said."

Dash rolled his eyes in exasperation. She was suffering from one of her famous hangovers no doubt. "I'm just going out with a friend. I'll be back before midnight, I promise."

Not bothering to wait for a response, Dash closed the front door to his two-story limestone house and locked it. The boy got into his car and turned the key in the ignition unsteadily with shakiness that had returned to his hands.

_Calm down man_, he thought to himself.

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOo_

Peering critically at her reflection in the mirror, Dani wiped under her eyes to clear her face from any mascara that had flaked off. The tiny girl made an indignant "_Humph_" and crossed her arms.

"Oh, stop, you know you like it," a certain ginger said proudly, her hands placed on her hips.

Dani guffawed. "Yes because I _looove _being made to look like a plastic barbie." She pulled at her soft and shiny hair. "Thanks a lot, Jazz," she said sourly.

"You're making it sound way worse than it is," Jazz said with a shrug. "You don't have to be a tom boy around the clock. Don't let Danny's boy genes get to your pretty little head."

At that time, the sisters' brother stormed into the room. "Speak of the devil," Jazz mumbled under her breath.

"Is it true?" Danny asked, his fists clenched and eyes flashing green.

Dani rolled her eyes. Instead of beating around the bush, Dani said point-blank, "Yes, Danny, I'm going on a date with Dash."

"Are you _serious_?" Danny growled. "Need I remind you that we're talking about the same kid whose bullied me since before he could count to ten? How could you even _consider_ going on a date with him?"

"He asked very nicely," said Dani simply. He was her clone, not her dad. She doesn't need his protection, nor him snooping around her business.

Danny glanced around, grasping for something that could prevent her from going with _him_. "What if there's a ghost attack? One, you'll be all alone. Two, Dash doesn't know you're my clone _or_ a Halfa. Or did you give away all those secrets away to the enemy?" Danny crossed his arms, the look on his face suggesting he thought he had won this argument.

"No, Danny, he doesn't know anything," the girl sighed. "And he isn't the enemy. I can handle myself, though; I've already proven that. And besides, the restaurant is eighty some miles away from Amity. In case you haven't noticed, the majority of the ghosts stay here." Which was entirely true. They were like moths to a flame, hungering for any ectoplasm they could get their hands on. Well, if they had hands.

"I still don't like it," Danny grumbled.

"You don't have to," said Dani dismissively. "I'll be home before midnight. You've got nothing to worry about."

Danny sighed in defeat. "Just be careful, alright? I don't want you coming home melting into a puddle of ectoplasm again."

The small girl laughed lightly. "That won't happen." She crossed the room to hug her older brother to comfort him. A few moments later, Danny left the room and Dani, seeking relief from the now humid air, went to her cold window.

"You can't blame him Dani," said Jazz. "It's in his nature to be overprotective."

Dani nodded (the conversation was to be expected) and leaned her head against the window.

Looking down at the streets, she saw Dash's Taurus start slowing down by the sidewalk of her house. She started growing panicked, but that feeling was replaced with confusion when the car took off and turned left at the stop sign. Dani stood there staring at the street and was rewarded when she saw his car pull up again. Only to shoot off like a rocket and make a circle around the block once more.

_What was he doing?_ Dani asked herself.

"I'll make sure Mom and Dad and any other unwanted onlookers aren't there to bother you when Dash comes to the door," said Jazz with a smile.

"_If_ he comes to the door at all," murmured Dani, not quite loud enough for her sister to hear. She went back to her mirror and flattened out the skirt of her dress. Butterflies were dancing the Thriller inside her stomach.

_Calm down_, she thought to herself.

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOo_

Dash drove to the Fenton house and circled the block at least five times, trying to slow his racing heart and bring his nerves under control. He pulled over by the curb and after straightening his collar one last time, stepped out of the car into the chilly fall, evening air. (It was pretty cold for five o'clock.)

Dash left his jacket on the passenger seat, all thought of it lost in the maelstrom that was his mind. As he finally reached the front door, he hesitated, his fist poised in mid air.

_Oh, Lord, _Dash thought to himself. _What if her dad answers the door? I'm a junior, and she's... she's just a freshman! What are they going to think? Or worse... Danny._ He was bound to hate Dash after all he had done, but now taking his... cousin (if he remembered the relationship right) on a date? Dash wasn't anxious to have the boy blow up on him.

Pushing down the wave of nausea climbing up his body, he swallowed and knocked purposefully three times. Which was quite unlike his habit of slamming his fist on his door at home until his mom woke up from her drunken stupor to unlock it for him. His jaw dropped as the door inched open and Dani stepped into view.

Dani, short for her age, stood there in four inch, pearl white heels that seemed to do nothing for her height; she was still a foot shorter than Dash. Her tiny frame boasted a knee length white a-line dress fringed in delicate white lace. The modest neckline was also decorated in lace, matching the three quarters length lace sweater that clung to her every curve. A thick, light blue satin belt embraced her small waist. Her raven hair that was normally straight was now flaunting soft, voluminous curls that cascaded down past her shoulders.

Unlike Paulina, Dani had done her make-up tastefully. A pale pink lipstick, mascara that wasn't overkill, barely rouged cheeks, and a natural brown eyeshadow all seemed to contribute to making her vivid, ocean blue eyes sparkle in the evening sun.

Dani laughed lightly as she took in Dash's appearance making the fidgety teen before her wring his hands.

"What's wrong?" he asked nervously.

Dani gestured to him then to herself. "We match."

Dash blushed barely noticeably and looked at the floor (first to scrape his jaw up off of it) to hide the crimson erupting in his cheeks. He mumbled to the floor, "I've never really dressed up this much before." He looked her in the eye then and a tender smile spread across his face as he said, "But you look..." he paused searching for a suitable word, "Breathtaking." And with that he took her by the hand and escorted her to the Taurus.

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOo_

Dash drove carefully; coming to slow gentle stops, and accelerating ever-so gently. He didn't want to scare Dani off with reckless driving.

The restaurant was an hour and a half drive away (there was nothing in Amity Park that warranted the ensembles they were wearing), so Dash and Dani had plenty of time to talk to each other. Unfortunately, Dash found himself grasping desperately for a topic. He could _not_ let this girl lose interest in him. Maybe if he went slightly over the speed limit to get there faster–

"What's your favorite type of music?" Dani inquired suddenly.

Dash was stunned temporarily before he snuck a glance over at Dani. She was smiling at him in a curious and expectant way.

"Well, um, I don't know," said Dash, mentally tripping over his words. He probably sounded so stupid to her. Anxious to redeem himself he quickly added, "I like listening to oldies music."

Dani raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You, Dash Baxter, like listening to the Golden Oldies?"

He nodded slightly, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. Should he have lied and said punk rock?

Dani leaned back in her seat folding her arms into her lap. She smiled, and said cheerfully, "There may be hope for you yet."

Dash forced a small nervous laugh then grew serious and began to panic. He knew it was his turn to ask a question.

"Well, um, Dani..." He started, his knuckles white and clasped around the steering wheel. "Do... do you read much?" He asked lamely, mentally smacking himself on the face for such a stupid question.

Dani didn't seem to think so as her whole face lit up at his question. "Oh, yes!" she exclaimed. "Where do I begin? There's that one series about these dragons..." And the tiny freshman began naming off a list of her favorite series, giving a short summary of each.

Dash couldn't help but smile. Her talking about something she was obviously so passionate about made him feel... invigorated. Alive because of her vivacity.

Dani slowly trailed off, feeling suddenly self-conscious. She always managed to talk way too much. She cautiously glanced at Dash, only to catch him grinning like a fool as he reached across the car and took her hand in his. He hadn't realize until now that she had his Letterman jacket draped across her legs.

He ran his thumb over her smooth skin. Those butterflies in her stomach were doing the Just Dance song "Rasputin" now.

He chuckled, "There may be hope for you yet."

_So Dash likes to read, huh? _Dani thought. "Hey, now, watch it. That's my line, Buster," said Dani teasingly.

"Actually, it's Baxter," Dash mocked, sarcasm layered on his words. He glanced over to see Dani staring at him with a slightly goofy smile (that he found endearing) spreading across her delicate features. He winked at her and Dani seemed to melt.

_I actually did something to make her swoon_, Dash thought proudly.

_OoOoOoOoOoOoOo_

When the couple arrived at the location of their dining pleasure, Dani sat stock still while she gazed up (and up and up and up) at the tall building.

While she was busy gawking, Dash had already made his way to her side and held the door open, his outstretched hand ready to help her out of the car. She blushed as she accepted his offer, and she climbed out of the car subconsciously clinging to his Letterman jacket.

"Do you want to take that with you?" Dash asked, nodding towards the jacket.

"Oh," Dani mumbled, her cheeks heating up even more so. "I didn't even realize..." She was digging herself deeper.

"It's a little chilly, you might need it later," Dash suggested, saving Dani from a world of embarrassment. Her ghost powers would block out the cold, but it was nice to have his sweet, musky smelling jacket along her side.

The two walked slowly to the front doors with Dash nearly pulling Dani alongside him when her attention returned to the remarkably tall restaurant. In a gentlemen like manner, Dash opened the door for her, causing a pink glow on her cheeks.

A huge unsupported dome rising dozens of stories high loomed over them. Around the dome were balconies overlooking the ornate lobby that consisted of many lounge chairs, stone fireplaces, and expensive looking lamps atop mahogany end tables.

Dash led his date to the glass elevator located across the lounge, and they patiently waited for the elevator to reach their level. After entering (and allowing Dani inside first) Dash pressed a button at the top that read... well, it was gibberish to Dani. It almost looked like French. Her nerves seemed to be affecting her more than she thought.

The raven hair girl rested her hands on the support bar and gazed down at the magnificent lobby as it got smaller and smaller. A soft ding sounded, and the couple exited with Dash's arm placed daringly on Dani's waist. The attendant on duty greeted them as they walked through the doors of the elevator into a much smaller lobby.

"Bonsoir, Monsieur Baxter. Avez-vous une réserve ce soir?"

"En fait je ne, Alfonse," Dash replied fluently, a lilting accent flavoring his baritone voice.

Dani turned to Dash agape, completely unaware that he could speak _any_ French. Let alone speak it fluently! A light scarlet coloured his cheeks and he chuckled nervously. A silence ensued, but before it became uncomfortably long Alfonse interjected.

"Who would be this this ravishing young maiden you've somehow entreated the company of tonight?"

This time it was Dani's turn to blush, her usual outgoing self disappeared at the comment and she looked down at her feet.

"My name is Danielle, sir," she mumbled, too shy to even use her nickname.

Alfonse complimented her appearance (to which Dani said a nervous thank you), and he led them to their table. Dani felt an odd sensation of movement when she stepped past the lobby. She furrowed her eyebrow and looked around for a threat from a ghost.

Dash nudged her and said, "It's a revolving restaurant. See?" He pointed to the lobby which was now moving at a barely noticeable pace.

She continued to look outside the windows as they followed Alfonse. It appeared they were in downtown Chicago, though how Dani missed that fact she had no idea.

Their waiter seated them and took their drink orders. Dani took a Virgin pina colada daiquiri after a quick perusal of the menu, and Dash a cherry crème soda. Then with a flourish of his pen, Alfonse swept their drink menus away, replaced them with the main menus, and went off to prepare their drinks.

"Well, this is... amazing," said Dani, feeling lame with her words. She leaned back in her one person booth seat that appeared to be upholstered in some sort of satiny velvet material. What she wouldn't give to have a pillow made out of that.

The whole dining room was a circle (like a doughnut) around the lobby and kitchens and bathrooms of the actual restaurant. The windows curved along with the dining room providing a 360 degree view of Chicago. The lights were dimmed very low to allow the lights from the skyscrapers outside to engross everyone in the room. The experience was like no other. What made it all the sweeter was the window seat they had gotten for a close up view of their surroundings.

"Dad and I use to come here to celebrate my birthdays," Dash said in a mournful and nostalgic tone. Not wanting to dwell on the past, Dash quirked his eyebrow and asked, "Danielle, huh? You never use your full name."

Feeling silly again, Dani simply nodded, her attention focused on the magnificence of the John Hancock building which was escaping her view due to the rotation. "I guess I was just shy back there with you two spouting your... French nonsense."

Dash leaned across the tiny mahogany table only meant to seat two. "Surely I could call you that, too." Gazing deeply into her eyes he continued softly. "With name as beautiful as Danielle, I could not bear to part with a single syllable of it."

If she wasn't blushing before, she sure as hell was now. "Where did you learn to talk like that, Mr. Baxter?" She didn't hide the romantic tone nor the genuine surprise in her voice.

"You can learn a lot of things from the French, it seems. After all, it's the language of love." The devious boy winked again before leaning back in his seat.

A second later a slim waitress deposited a selection of breads which was quickly followed by two small dishes of spreads. One was honey butter and the other was sun-dried tomato basil.

As soon as the waitress left, and at exactly the same time, both Dani and Dash swept the latter of the two spreads to the end of the table. They exchanged a knowing look.

"Tomatoes... blah," the two said before laughing.

The dinner date continued with Dash buttering up a soft roll for Dani (which melted in her mouth blissfully) and the teenage boy attempting (and succeeding) to make his date swoon with more romantic comments. _Who knew he was such a smooth talker with the ladies?_ Dani thought.

"So how did you learn French anyhow?" Dani inquired with genuine interest. "The only world languages at school are Spanish and German."

Dash's face seemed to crumble like a pastry for a second before he regained his composure and said quietly, "Back when dad was still around we, uh... we used to travel a lot. He was a Linguistic Specialist and he'd take business trips to all these exotic places where he'd live with the indigenous tribes. He would document everything he could about their language. There were times when he was gone for an entire year. Every summer he'd take me with him on at least one trip, until one year we never heard from him again. Mom's convinced he ran off with some other woman."

Dash was then silent for a long time. "Sometimes I wish I could hate him for not coming back, but more than that, I just wish I knew what happened to him. Whether he's still out there somewhere." Another pause. "Whether or not he thinks about me."

For the second time that night Dani's hand met Dash's – this time across the table – and his shimmering blue eyes lit up considerably.

He smiled for a second and then asked, "What about you? Ever travel?"

Dani returned the smile. "Actually, yeah. Last year when I was thirteen I went overseas to Rome, Paris, Athens, Lower Egypt, bunches of places."

"I really liked Athens when Dad and I went. Even though the Parthenon was in ruins, it was still pretty amazing," Dash reminisced. "How did you get everywhere?"

"Oh, I flew," said Dani flippantly. Only after it was done did she realize what she had said. She gave herself a mental rare quadruple face-palm.

"That seems like it would be really expensive. I would suggest taking the Metro in Europe. Much cheaper. Well, it wouldn't matter I guess if your parents were loaded," Dash laughed. "They went with you, right?"

Biting the inside of her cheek, Dani wracked her brain for an excuse. "Uh, well –"

Somewhere, someplace, an angel must have been looking out for Dani because at that moment a siren began wailing and sprinklers went off overhead.

Glancing around confusedly at first, Dash realized it was a fire alarm sounding. Waiters were ushering people out a door that led to escape stairs.

_No, not now!_ Dash thought. This was _not _how this date was supposed to go.

Cursing under his breath, Dash led Dani (who was promising herself to say a few choice words to Jazz about the four inch high torture devices adorning her feet) by her arm to the escape exit.

Take the sound of someone popping their knuckles magnified by ten. That was the noise ringing in Dani's ears right before the floor split beneath her feet, and gravity snatched her from the air like a puppet whose strings had been snipped.

**Closing Author's Note: Matthew Pride suggested the last sentence be, "...and gravity snatched her from the air, making her plummet just like Matt's voice did when he hit puberty." Obviously, I was disinclined to acquiesce to his request... It means "no." (Someone name that reference and the one in the first Author's Note, and I will love you! And I'll go review a bunch of your stories for you because you're cooler than Kool-aid.)**

**Until the next chapter...**

**-Aurora Marie Williams**


	2. Falling Fast (Pun Intended)

**Author's Note:** Thank you to **Creepy-Pasta**, **princessariellover876**, **lightshadow101**, **DragonNinja2014**, **DannySamLover20**, **The Illumination**, **Kathleen Victoria Winters**, **Marie Delacroix**, **HarleyQuinn1307**, **WhiteAngel43**, Guest, **ItTicklesLikeCrazy**, **Zinnia99**, **Ethan Demas, **and **Another Guest** (Guest) for reviewing!

Major thanks to **Matthew Pride **for helping me fill in all the black voids in this story. I couldn't do it without you. Thank you, **ItTicklesLikeCrazy**, for being the incredible, extraordinary beta reader that you are.

I'm giving you guys the full summary in this chapter because how am I supposed to fit all the thrilling details inside 385 characters?

Dani isn't the only one with a difficult past. She makes a startling discovery about Dash's own past when she is forced to overshadow Dash to save his life. Now she is caught in a web of intrigue as she tries to decipher more about Dash Baxter's past. Meanwhile, Dash is falling in love with Dani Fenton, but what would he think about Dani Phantom? Dash is coming dangerously close to uncovering Danielle's secret as she finds herself letting him closer and closer. No secrets remain secrets forever, the only question is – Will their secrets bring them closer together, or tear them apart? Danish. (SamxDanny, hints of TuckerxValerie.) Sequel to Extrinsic Souls.

**Important Note (Please Read): This story is now the sequel to Extrinsic Souls. I'd love it if you guys did read ES! This is the summary for the first story.**

**Summary**: AU. Post PP. What if it wasn't an accident that turned Danny into a Halfa? What if destiny predetermined his fate before he was even born? What if Maddie and Jack weren't has real parents? And what if there were hundreds of Halfas, waiting to be discovered? For once, these "what if's" are a reality, and the outcome isn't what anyone expected. (Under reconstruction.)

**Sounds pretty crazy, huh? Breaking news! This story is going to be even crazier. I know I originally said that this would only have Dash's or Dani's POV (third person limited or first person), but since this is now the sequel, it will include various other characters' POV's.**

In this chapter you're getting a peek at Dash's childhood which meant I had to figure out when he was born. In Phantom Planet he was fourteen years old, and that show aired in 2007 meaning that Dash would have been born in 1993, so that's the year I'm using. Of course that would mean he is twenty-one, but this is taking place when Dash is a junior in high school, so in the story, the year is 2010. Correct me if I'm wrong!

Getting chapters up (for this story and all of my other stories) is really difficult. Not only do I have a packed schedule, but Mom is constantly interrupting me when I'm writing to do menial tasks for her. Exhibit A:

**Mom**: Aurora, I need you to sweep the kitchen for me!

**Me**: But Moooom, I'm writing my fanfiction story!

**Mom**: You know what you should write about?

(Genuinely interested) **Me**: What?

(Smug) **Mom**: A girl who sweeps the kitchen when her mother asks her to.

(Scowling) **Me**: This isn't a Disney story, Mom.

I do not own Danny Phantom, but if I did, I'd mass produce little Skulker bobbleheads that say things like, "I'll have your pelt!" in Kevin Michael Richardson's voice (who is also Paulina's dad; this explains so much) and sell them for $1 apiece and become a millionaire. Because, who doesn't want a Skulker bobblehead? I mean, let's be honest here.

_**Chapter Two: Falling Fast (Pun Intended)**_

_Dash_

One moment I was talking to Dani, and the next she was torn from me. I watched the building's floor open wide like a gaping maw, swallowing her whole. Rumbling quakes echoed through the building as if cackling, reveling as it stole Danielle from me. My Danielle.

Quickened instincts and reactions from years of playing football kicked in as I lunged forward, reaching desperately for her arm. I felt my fingers graze her wrist, and then I was her only tether, the one thing keeping her from falling into the gaping void below. Relief flooded her features as she looked up at me, but soon turned to a rictus of pure horror, for reasons I couldn't comprehend.

"Don't worry, I've got -" Something struck the back of my head with such force that I toppled forward. The last thing I heard before I blacked out was Danielle screaming.

_Dani_

Under normal circumstances, the thought of Dash Baxter saving my life would've turned my insides to ectoplasmic jelly. But these were not normal circumstances. The fire that was weakening the building was not only damaging the foundations, but had also spread to the roof. Teetering on the precipice of the skylight was a chunk of rebar and cement the size of a microwave. I opened my mouth to warn him, to tell him to let me go. That's when hell broke loose. The rebar tumbled over the edge, falling in an arc directly towards Dash's head.

Blissfully unaware of the threat looming over his head, Dash smiled reassuringly and said, "Don't worry, I've got -" The warped mass of metal bars and cement connected with his skull. There was a sickening crunch, and his eyes rolled back in their sockets as he crumpled forward and the hand that my life was in grew limp. My heart stopped as a pain I'd never felt the like of tore through me.

"DASH!" I screamed, fury and fear echoing through me. Two pale rings of light encompassed me as I channeled my ghost form. I became intangible, flying straight through the debris that battered and bashed Dash Baxter like a dove in the darkest of storms.

At last, I reached him, drawing him close to my body as I flew through the walls of the building. His body weight was dragging my own down to the earth, and with great difficulty we landed in small copse of trees just behind the building. A thick layer of pine needles and fallen leaves blanketed the ground.

I laid Dash down gently, taking special care with his head. A thick, slimy feeling made me gasp as I retracted my hand. Hot, sticky blood coated my hand, and turning him over I discovered a gash just below the crown of his head. A pool of blood began collecting under him at an alarming rate, painting the mattress of pre-autumn leaves he lay on from soft verdant to sharp crimson. Bile rose at the back of my throat, choking me as I began to panic. My breathing rapidly increased, and my heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest for what had to be the umpteenth time tonight, though for a wildly different reason than the times before.

_Calm down, Danielle, you can handle this. You've been in trickier situations before_, I told myself. _First things first, Dash needs help_.

Knowing that with the way my stomach was churning there was no way I was going to be able to fly Dash to help, I decided to take the alternative. With the aid of my ghostly strength, I was able to carry Dash in my arms relatively easily. Halfway to the medical pavilion, a thought struck me. No ordinary girl my age would be able to carry a 6' 4" quarterback from the CHS football team for five steps, let alone the fifty meters between the copse and where the medics were tending to the survivors of the accident. And when I got closer to the medical pavilion I'd have to change back to my human form. Meaning my ghostly strength would lessen once I was back in my human form.

I lowered Dash to the ground once more and my heart broke at what I saw. Dash looked as if death had warmed over him; it was obvious that he couldn't last much longer. I could barely feel his pulse, even with my ghost-enhanced senses. A growl of utter defeat touched my lips, and tears threatened to overwhelm me. I hadn't cried in almost a year, not since the time when I could barely hold my form together, and I was certain I was going to die. Now, though, with Dash in the same state, tears streamed down my face in rivulets.

Gritting my teeth, I wiped my face with the back of my hand roughly. I got to my feet and hauled Dash to his feet again, the two of us stumbling once more towards the medical pavilion.

A root snagged my foot, and I went down hard, an agonizing pain shooting up from my ankle. Dash's body slumped on top of me, increasing the pressure on my ankle until I was sure it would snap. Agony surged through me, and I knew that there was no way I could carry Dash another step.

"Help!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Someone! Anyone? WILL SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME?!"

I kept screaming and yelling until my throat was raw, and my voice was nothing but a muffled croak. No help came. The police sirens and the keening of the injured drowned out my pleas.

"Someone... please..." I mumbled, looking down at Dash's face. If Death could be personified, one would have no need to look further than at Dash Baxter as he lay in my arms.

An idea came to me then. If I were to overshadow him, maybe I'd be able to bring him to the medical pavilion. It was risky, and there was no guarantee I wouldn't damage his mind. There wasn't even any guarantee that I'd be able to control him if he were unconscious. I had to try. I prayed to nobody in particular that Dash would forgive me if I couldn't pull this off.

Closing my eyes, I let myself drift into him. My consciousness fought his for what seemed like a lifetime, and when he finally backed down, everything felt... _fizzy_. Suddenly, I was torn from the world and into the maelstrom of his mind.

* * *

_Wind danced through my platinum blonde hair, ruining the gelled do I'd had before I rolled the car window down. I smiled and laughed anyway. Dad had let me sit in the front passenger seat even though it would be several years before I was old enough to, and nothing could ruin my mood now. Not even the reprimanding I'd get from Mom when we got back from our fishing trip._

_"And we've got more where that came from," said the enthusiastic man on the radio." Next up, a song that'll lift you higher, it's Burning Love by, the one and only, Elvis, baby!"_

"_Alright!" I exclaimed at the same time that Dad moaned, "Oh no."_

_Bouncing up and down in my seat, I looked over at Dad to see him smiling. He wasn't really complaining about the song; in fact he loved The King just as much as I did. But he knew how excited I heard this particular song. So he clenched the steering wheel and shook his head preparing for my outburst. The way his deep blue eyes twinkled made me feel even happier._

"_Lord Almighty,_

_I feel my temperature rising_

_Higher higher_

_It's burning through to my soul_

_Girl, girl, girl_

_You're gonna set me on fire_

_My brain is flaming_

_I don't know which way to go..."_

_Every word I belted out while dancing in my seat. The chorus is what really excited me, and Dad knew it. He chuckled and smoothed his dark, grey streaked hair down as I sang along with the guitar._

"_Your kisses lift me higher_

_Like the sweet song of a choir_

_You light my morning sky_

_With burning love..."_

_I pumped my fist in the air after the last word, still jamming in my seat._

"_Come on, Dad," I shouted over the blaring music. "Do the Elvis thing!"_

_Dad cracked a smile showing off his perfect set of white teeth. "Elvis, baby, huah," he said in his Elvis-impersonation voice, even adding Elvis' signature sign-off grunt at the end._

_I cheered and went on singing._

"_Ooh, ooh, ooh_

_I feel my temperature rising_

_Help me, I'm flaming_

_I must be a hundred and nine_

_Burning, burning, burning_

_And nothing can cool me_

_I just might turn into smoke_

_But I feel fine_

'_Cause your kisses lift me higher_

_Like the sweet song of a choir_

_And light my morning sky_

_With burning love…"_

_Putting on my best smolder I started playing air guitar to the song while Dad sang the notes._

"_It's coming closer_

_The flames are reaching my body_

_Please won't you help me_

_I feel like I'm slipping away_

_It's hard to breathe_

_And my chest is a-heaving_

_Lord Almighty,_

_I'm burning a hole where I lay_

'_Cause your kisses lift me higher_

_Like the sweet song of a choir_

_You light my morning sky_

_With burning love_

_With burning love_

_Ah, ah, burning love_

_I'm just a hunk, a hunk of burning love_

_Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love_

_Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love_

_Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love_

_Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love_

_Just a hunk, a hunk of burning love..."_

_I had calmed a little as the song started fading out. That gave room in my head for an idea to form._

"_Dad, you're Elvis," I said in a matter-of-fact tone._

"_And what made you decide that?" He snorted._

"_Your names sound like each other!" I reasoned._

"_Drest and Presley do not sound the same," Dad replied._

"_Not your last name, Dad," I moaned. "Malvas, Elvis."_

_Dad sighed, but his eyes were still twinkling. "Alright, I'm Elvis, because my five year old son told me so."_

"_And you sing the same, too. At least yo__u do when you sing for me," I said, narrowing my eyes._

"_Hey now, don't accuse me of not singing for you. My voice is still recovering from yesterday's fiasco when you–" Right then his voice went hoarse._

"_It isn't my fault the radio station was playing The Beatles for two hours straight!"_

_Dad guffawed. "I wouldn't be surprised if you had called them to ask them to!"_

_I blushed as I remembered finally pressing the right buttons on our home phone to dial the station. I had only planned on asking them to play a few of my favorite songs, but once I got started naming off songs, I couldn't stop! The hardest part was deepening my voice enough to sound like Dad does when he talks._

_Uncontrollable giggles escaped from me as Dad looked down at me in horror._

"_You didn't..." he said, sounding amazed and horrified at the same time._

"_Yup!" I admitted happily as Dad ruffled my hair (as if the wind hadn't done enough damage) and laughed hysterically along with me._

* * *

I gasped in pain as I fought for control over Dash and his memories that were attacking me. My vision was blurry and my head throbbed. I was stumbling, nearly crawling my way towards the medical pavilion in Dash's huge, unfamiliar form when another flashback ripped through my mind.

* * *

_Scents of cream and vanilla wafted from the kitchen to the living room where I was sat on our expensive-not-to-be-touched sofa, dutifully watching Fairly Oddparents. Today the show was pretty boring (something about Timmy wanting to watch a horror movie where a fly and a blonde hair, blue-eyed guy who kinda looked like me, only older, switched heads). Even if the aroma from the kitchen wasn't mouthwatering, I would've gotten up anyway. Instead, I ran to the kitchen, knowing the intoxicating scent meant that Dad was cooking something tasty._

"_What smells so good?" I asked dreamily as I entered the huge and shiny kitchen. (I didn't realize that I lived in a mansion until I went over to my friend's house. The only thing I said when I saw it was, "Oh.")_

"_Ah," said Dad as he turned around, whisking something in a silver mixing bowl. He was wearing the rich blue colored apron I had made him last year for Christmas (with Mom's help of course). "That would be the creamy concoction I'm preparing for you. Better known as crème brûlèe, your favorite."_

"_Really?" I asked, overjoyed._

_He usually only made me this dessert on special occasions, but I was too happy knowing that I'd soon be savoring the taste of crème brûlèe to push the matter._

_Dad's blue eyes twinkled as he savored my felicity, before his face turned to an expression of mock horror. "Oh no! I've made a mistake! This isn't YOUR favorite dessert… it's MINE! Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to eat it all myself."_

"_Daaaaadddd," I groaned._

"_Fine, fine," he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I suppose I can share... but a certain person is going to have to help me out!"_

"_Really, Dad?!" Judging by his reaction, my face must have lit up like Times Square on New Years as the ball dropped, because his face was like a mirror, my joyous reflection was painted upon his face too._

"_Really, really." His grin faded after a moment, growing serious as he started to speak again. "Some day, Dash, I might not be around, and you've got to be a big strong man and take care of your mother. Can you do that for me?"_

"_You're crazy, dad, you're always gonna be here!" I exclaimed, knowing no better._

_His face morphed into a wistful, sad expression. "I want to give you something."_

"_What is it?" I asked excitedly. I always loved getting new things from Dad. His gifts were always cool. Like the time he got me a remote control helicopter that fired foam bullets! Those suckers hurt if you got hit with them..._

_Dad reached into his pocket and pulled out a very polished looking, round piece of metal (about the size of his palm) with designs all over it._

"_Oh," I said, trying to mask the disappointment in my voice._

"_Son, do you know what this is?" Dad asked, holding it out to me._

"_It's a pocket watch, right?"_

"_That's right," my dad smiled. "I've had this pocket watch for about 30 years now, and it's been a reminder to me to take every opportunity that I can. Go on, open it."_

_There was a slight click as the lid of the watch popped open and revealed the intricate mechanism inside. It whirred faintly in my hand, sending a strange tickling sensation through my palms and to my fingertips as if it were somehow… connected to me._

"_Watches are so named as a reminder - if you don't watch carefully what you do with your time, it will slip away from you." I read the inscription slowly, trying to understand why Dad would give me something like this._

"_There's many things you -" Dad started._

_A loud crash echoed along the marble hallway from the our living room, followed by the sound of my mother screaming. I could hear a man's voice, too, and wondered what was happening. Before I could even think of moving, Dad pushed me into the dumbwaiter by the door._

"_Stay here and don't move until I tell you, Dash." My dad's tone left no room for argument, and I could have sworn that his eyes flashed red for a moment. The shutter on the dumbwaiter clattered shut and I heard my dad's footsteps pounding down the hallway, shouting._

"_Elizabeth? Elizabeth, where are you?! Eliza -" His voice cut off abruptly._

_I crouched in the dumbwaiter with my knees drawn to my chest, my body shaking and my mind terrified. The walls seemed to fold in on me, and the darkness seemed to steal what little air I still had. _

_After what had to have been an hour, angry shouts floated down the hallway to me. I began to hyperventilate, and eventually tears dripped from my eyes. The sounds echoed dully in the metal shaft of the dumbwaiter as I listened for Dad to come back. To hold me and tell me I had nothing to worry about. That he would protect me._

"_He was here again!" Mom half-screamed, half-cried._

"_You mean Le- Dad?" Dad growled after catching himself. I didn't know that much about my grandpa on Dad's side. I didn't even know his name. Only that he was dead._

"_I thought... you told him... to leave us alone?" Mom gasped, now completely in tears._

"_Ghosts don't listen -"_

"_Make him listen!" Mom said in a voice I'd never heard her use. She never ordered Dad around. "I can't handle seeing a dead man in my house every week!"_

_I whimpered again, the darkness was terrifying me now. I scrambled out of the dumbwaiter and made a beeline for my room. I ran out the kitchen, through the living room, and then up two flights of stairs which led to a long hallway where my bedroom was._

_The moment I was in my room, I slammed the door shut. Walking shakily to my bed, I sat down and dug under my bed for my headphones to block out the sounds of Mom yelling. I plugged them into my radio and turned it on. My favorite station was already queued up._

"_This is no happy home_

_But God knows how I've tried_

_Because you're all I have, my boy_

_You are my life, my pride, my joy_

_And if I stay, I stay because of you, my boy…"_

_Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about the song. The more I applied the song to what I was experiencing now, the more choked up I got. A huge lump formed in my throat that I couldn't swallow. Before I knew it, I was sobbing._

"_Daa-aa-ad, ple-aase…" I begged through my tears. Then my whole body quaked with tremors of inconsolable wailing as I screamed for Dad, screamed until I had no voice left._

* * *

Even after the memory had ended, I was still screaming. Dash's subconscious was fighting my uninvited presence, his mind desperately trying to seize back control. Overshadowing people was never a problem for Danny, so why was this so difficult?

With uncertain movements, I stumbled through the trees to the flashing lights of an ambulance.

"Help…" I croaked as I fell to my knees. The injuries this body had sustained were too severe to be pushing it any farther.

Then an idea came to me. What if I could use my ghost powers to heal Dash? I'd never tried something like this before, but it was worth a shot.

Feeling mentally was a lot harder than I expected. I imagined myself as a white wisp of smoke inside Dash's body. Then I morphed that wisp into a figure and extended the figure to fill out this form. Pain started to melt away from my limbs (but not my head) almost immediately. I sighed in relief and opened my eyes.

Forms dressed in white were rushing towards me, and my flailing arms were an indicator to my shock. That break in concentration cost me dearly. I could feel Dash fighting me for control of his body.

"Don't you worry, young man, you're in good hands now," a dark-skinned woman told me. A suppressed a cry as I felt Dash take over.

"Wha..?" Dash mumbled.

I was still in his body, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't overshadow him. I couldn't even escape from his body. All I could do was lay dormant in his mind.

Dash was lifted up onto a stretcher and taken over to an examination table by the ambulances. Now a different woman, one with long red hair, was asking him questions.

"Can you wiggle your toes?" she asked pleasantly.

Dash furrowed his eyebrows, and would've crossed his arms if he could. "Wiggle, wiggle," he said indignantly.

"Oh dear," the woman said. She continued to ask Dash more medical questions, and I continued to try regaining control over him. He was digging himself deeper and deeper.

After the redhead asked Dash how old he was, he was stumped and stopped putting up mental defenses. That's when I jumped at the opportunity. The familiar fizzy feeling of overshadowing him filled my body… well, his body.

"I'm seventeen, ma'am," I answered.

A surprised look bloomed on her face. "That's the first coherent sentence I've gotten out of you. You have a nasty blow on your head, but we bandaged it up for you. Are you feeling better now?"

"Much better, actually," I responded.

"Why don't you take a seat by the ambulance and wait a while, just in case?" She gave me a kind smile.

"Thanks, but I don't think that's necessary." I stood up from the stretcher and stretched my limbs.

It hurt a little, but I didn't wince, which made it look like I was better than I really was. I walked briskly around the ambulance and after I'd double checked to see if it was clear, I turned invisible and flew over to the restaurant's parking lot.

After landing safely, I proceeded to heal Dash the way I had before, only this time focusing on his head. Once I was satisfied I had done the best I could, I phased out of Dash and changed back into my human form (my white dress was streaked with grey, and my hair was a wreck) while he stared at his surroundings in a daze.

"Dash, are you alright?" I asked with caution.

"Umm, yeah, just a… a little disorientated… I think," he answered, sounding very puzzled. He raised a hand to the back of his head then winced as he touched the bandages. "What happen-" His eyes widened. "The restaurant was on fire and the floor… Dani, I am so sorry." He took a step towards me, his arms extended.

Raising my own arms, I waved my hands flippantly. "No, it's okay, we both made it out okay." I gave him a confident smile.

He frowned at my words. "How did we make it out?"

Damn. I hadn't thought about that. "Well, firefighters came into the building and got everyone out safely. You got hit in the head though, and you were unconscious most of the time until we got to the ambulance. They said your head injury wasn't serious. Just some blood." My words were rushed, and he could probably read me like an open book. Worst. Lie. Ever.

Dash narrowed his eyes, but just as quickly relaxed. "And you didn't get hurt?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine."

He nodded to himself, then sighed. "So much for our first date going without a hitch, huh?"

I laughed. "I'm sure we still have some time left for you to redeem yourself. Do you know what time it is?"

"Yeah, gimme a sec." He reached into his pocket, but instead of pulling out his phone like I expected, he pulled out the shiny pocket watch I had seen in his memories.

I swallowed hard. When the cover clicked open, I saw the glass face was cracked.

"Oh, yeah, we still have time," Dash grinned mischievously.

I playfully rolled my eyes at his excitement. We walked to the front of the parking lot closest to the building to find his Taurus. We finally located it, but not in the condition we had left it in. Rubble from the building must've fallen and hit his car because huge chunks of glass and concrete had left huge dents in the hood and roof of the Taurus. There was even a hole in the fender that looked suspiciously like a casualty from an ecto-blast. I brushed off the idea quickly, though.

Dash's thoughts weren't so easily dismissed. I tried not to giggle at him as he growled and fumed over his baby. Such a typical guy.

"I don't know who's behind all this, or if anyone's behind this, BUT THEY'RE GONNA FIX MY CAR!"

**Ending Author's Note: The mystery of Dash's past continues... Next chapter: Fluff! And lots of it! And then some butting heads between Dash and Danny. But where, when, why, how come? Who's gonna break up the fight? All in good time. Oooh, this is gonna be good. ****Danny is now an eavesdroppin', no good, salad eating spy! (I have no idea what I'm saying.) ****You'll have more questions than answers, but some things will be answered. You'll have to keep reading to find out!**

**Don't forget to use word hits in your reviews! Favorite, follow, and tell all your friends! Thanks for all the people who came back to read this story from the first book of Extrinsic Souls. You're amazing. Also, for anyone reading this who hasn't read Extrinsic Souls, and really doesn't wanna, let me know in your review that you want an overview of ES. Or if you just wanna read an overview to remind you of what's going on! I'll PM you one as soon as I can.**

**Until the next chapter...**

**-Aurora Marie Williams**


	3. Blinded By the Light

**Author's Note: Greetings, fanfictionites! Do you how do? (Name the reference! Hint: yellow.)**

**Thanks to Another Guest (Guest), Lovin' It (Guest), DragonNinja2014, DannySamLover20, Marie Delacroix, The Illumination, Kathleen Victoria Winters, HarleyQuinn1307, WhiteAngel43, Zinnia 99, DP-PJO-SPN-Girl297, Phangirl of You (Guest), John Doe (Guest), infinity6301, and STORMYY-RAINY for reviewing. I'll be replying to Guest reviews in the Ending Author's Note.**

**And where would I be without Matthew Pride and ItTicklesLikeCrazy? Mr. Pride helps me write when I get stuck (Gee, I wonder whose fault that is...), and ItTicklesLikeCrazy is positively the best beta reader there is. She has so many ideas that I would've never had a fleeting glimpse of imagining.**

**At the end of this chapter is the overview for Extrinsic Souls I! When you read it, everything that goes on is happening to _you_. So it's a very different perspective, but I think that y'all will like it!**

**I had fully intended on updating on August 22nd, but my schedule decided that wouldn't be possible. Speaking of schedules… how is school for everyone? Right now, for me, it's already stressful. Geometry is poison from the depths of Tartarus.**

_**Chapter Three: Blinded By the Light**_

_Dani_

"I didn't know that you could drive," Dash said, frowning. I'd volunteered to drive us wherever Dash was planning to go next because I could tell he was still out of it from the injuries he had sustained.

"Of course I can drive!" I snorted. Then, too quiet for Dash hear, I mumbled, "Just not _legally_." I didn't tell him that _technically_ I couldn't drive, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him… Right?

Dash seemed to be in some sort of trance for most of the ride, only mumbling street names every now and then. Until suddenly he jolted upright in his seat and shouted, "Turn right here!"

Acting on instinct, I swerved wildly and almost crashed into a moss-covered arch. We barely made it through the gap between it and a similar arch on the other side of the dirt road we were barrelling down. I glanced over at Dash and saw him clutching the handle on the ceiling of the car like his life depended on it. His face had turned a shade of white that most of the ghosts I'd known couldn't even match.

I whirled the car around, bringing us to a tire-screeching stop. The dirt cloud I'd made with my NASCAR worthy driving floated around the car like thick fog. I grinned "charmingly" at Dash, who was hyperventilating in the passenger's seat.

"You… can drive… huh?" Dash gasped. I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I waited until his breathing slowed down to the speed of a breathless marathon runner instead of a person having a panic attack.

"I did say, 'not legally.' You just didn't…" The dirt cloud around us had settled enough for me to view our current surroundings. "...hear me."

Without realizing it, my hand felt around for the door handle. Not even bothering to shut the car door, I started to drift down the gravel path.

A dream coalesced before me, a grove shrouded in twilight, a solitary lamppost embellishing the copse with its warm incandescence. The warmth of its luster was an illusion, however, and a chill wind fluttered through the clearing with the essence of a caged bird, rippling across my skin and raising gooseflesh where its tendrils caressed my bare arms. Gravel crunched beneath my feet, crackling like rain, and a stream gurgled just outside of my vision. An inviting scent enveloped me, and something draped itself upon my shoulders.

Stiffening in surprise, I looked down and saw the familiar colors of Dash's red and white letterman jacket. I turned to face him, my mouth agape, but his strong hands spun me around once more, urging me to take in what I hadn't previously. I pressed my back against Dash's chest, his arms twining around my waist as if they belonged there every bit as much as the clothing I wore.

A gentle zephyr whispered through our haven, and I closed my eyes, inhaling slowly. The musky scent of Dash's jacket wreathed around me, and I could still smell the paint we had sat in when we first met at the train station lingering on the coat like a phantasmal silhouette of the bond we had made. A sweet aroma permeated the clearing then, as cherry blossoms began to glide gently from their branches. The wind murmured in my ears, imploring me to open my eyes. As they opened, I was greeted by streaks of pale pink, white, and lavender swirling around me. The cherry blossoms, like a thousand flitting butterflies, wove their cavorting dance about the clearing and settled fondly in my hair. I giggled unabashedly as their silken edges tickled my face and nose. The crickets began to chirp, and thunder rumbled in the distance as if chuckling along with me. I turned to Dash, gazing at him in wonder.

The fallen blossoms had settled in his hair and were glinting mischievously like a crown upon his blonde locks. He took my hand and led me to a bench that faced the gravel road and that lay beneath the lamppost, encircled by a halo of golden light. We sat, and Dash gathered me in his arms, sheltering me once more from the wind.

Instinctively, my hand lay upon his chest and my fingers traced small circles against his shirt. His brilliant blue eyes were transfixed upon my own, but there was something more there. The depths of his eyes seemed to dare me, to challenge me to do something - No, to invite me. I realized this as his neck arched and his lips began to descend towards my own. My heart fluttered in my chest like an epileptic rabbit's. With my eyes half-lidded, I leaned closer-

_BAM!_

Blue-white LED lights blinded me. I raised my hand to cover my eyes in response, but Dash nearly jumped right off the side of the bench. My sight quickly adjusted, and let me tell you, I was _not_ happy by what I saw.

The source of the lights was a black-as-midnight Audi sedan. (Probably why I hadn't heard the car approaching. Damned luxury cars.) There was only one person I knew with a car like that. I nearly growled as a figure started barreling towards me, two more figures following closely behind.

"What are you doing here, Danny?" I demanded, rising from the bench with my fists clenched.

Danny skidded to a stop in the gravel just a couple feet away from me. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Dash, who was rubbing his eyes. "I could ask you the same thing, Danielle."

I bristled at that. The way he said my name was like a parent reprimanding their child.

"I'll ask you again since you can't get anything through that thick skull of yours. What are doing here? You'd _better_ not be following me."

"Actually, we were following a ghost trail here-"

Dani guffawed. "Right, as if."

Danny growled. "But I should've followed you. You're only fourteen years old. You shouldn't be going on dates-"

"Stop right there!" Danny shouted. "I'm through with you telling me what I can and can't do, Danny! You. Are. Not. My. Father."

"I might as well be!" Danny yelled back. "Someone's gotta watch out for you! No one was watching you, and now you're on a date with this idiot of a-"

"Hey!" Dash interjected. "I am _not_ an idiot, Fenton," he said indignantly.

Danny marched straight up to Dash. "Hell if you aren't!" Danny pressed his finger into Dash's chest. "You're a bully to everyone, and I wouldn't be surprised if you were just going on this date with Dani to get in her pants!"

Sam and Tucker gasped at his exclamation. I screamed in frustration and threw my hands in the air. Dash grabbed a hold of Danny's wrist and, through clenched teeth, said, "Don't you ever talk about me disgracing Danielle that way."

Danny's angry demeanor faltered for a split second. He looked at me, eyes narrowed. "You let him call you Danielle?"

At a loss for words (huh, imagine me being at a loss for words), I didn't reply. But that only made Danny even angrier. He took a couple steps back from Dash and flicked his hand. A bright green ecto-ray appeared in his hand, the light turning to entire clearing an ominous shade. Dash just growled and went into a defensive position.

Sam chose that moment to finally intervene, exclaiming, "Come _on_ you two, break it up!" She pressed her palms to Danny's chest murmuring, "He's not worth it, Danny."

Ghost-enhanced hearing was useful, but sometimes it got really awkward. Like the time when Maddie and Jack came home after staying out late, and they went upstairs and-

You know what? Let's not bring that up. Ever.

Danny, Tucker, and Sam turned and got back in the car then. Just before Sam got in the car, she caught my eye, and if I hadn't known better I would have sworn she winked at me. I was still simmering.

The trio floored the car and angrily kicked up a huge dust cloud as they drove away.

* * *

**Ending Author's Note: Review-Response for Guests (RRG) time!**

**Guest (Ch. 1 on July 16th): **I'm really glad that you like what I've done with Dash's character. Matthew Pride and I worked really hard to make a whole new character with him.

**Another Guest (Ch. 1 on July 30th): **Yay! I have a guest who read the first one! Thanks for noticing the improvements I've made with my writing. That means I'm doing something right!

**Another Guest (Ch. 2 on August 2nd): **Aww, thanks! Dash is now one of my most favoritest character now because of this story ^_^

**Lovin' it (Ch. 1 on August 2nd): **Thanks!

**Lovin' It (Ch. 2 on August 2nd): **KABOOM!

**Phangirl of You (Ch. 1 on August 12th): **First of all, love your signoff name. Very clever ;) Second, thanks for such an amazing review! I am going to include Dash's mom later on in the story. She's a very important character when it comes to finding out who Dash's father is.

The driving around the block thing was actually Mr. Pride's idea. Thank him for that genius part!

Paulina is an evil witch! I have played around with putting her in the story for drama's sake, but with what I have planned to go down between the villains and the heroes, Paulina would be totally out of place in the story.

I personally love the Oldies, and like you found out in the second chapter, Dash and his father have an affinity for it as well! And I will give you proof later of Dash loving books, haha.

J Gatsby is the epitome of timeless men swag. (I might just use that comment in this story.) And yes, rotating restaurants are an actual thing. My favorite restaurant is called the Eagles Nest. It's a rotating restaurant in Downtown Indy that has A-M-A-Z-I-N-G food.

And I get the joke, haha. They didn't die!

*Round of applause* You got the references! I died laughing when I read the black cherry Kool-Aid comment.

Thanks for the promises of reviews! I'll keep you updated via these chapters of the progress I've made on ES.

**Phangirl of You (Ch. 2 on August 12th): **It's a good thing I wrote this chapter in first person then! Haha.

**John Doe (Ch. 2 on August 13th): **Thank you for the compliments!

_**Psst, I have a poll open on my profile! It's asking you guys what stories you'd like to see me write. Eventually all of the stories will be written. It's up to you guys as to which one is written first! I'll have the poll open until I finish most (if not all) of the stories on my profile.**_

**And here, my friends, is the overview for Extrinsic Souls.**

You wake up slowly…

...the first thing that your mind recognizes is that you're bathed in an ominous green light…

...the second is that you have no idea where you are.

A wave of nausea floods through you as you try to struggle to your feet, pain wracking your exhausted form. You flop back onto the floor, your face pressed against the hard clear surface between you and endless twitching cogs and gears below you when a humorless chuckle emanates from somewhere behind you.

Craning your neck, you try to look in the direction of the noise and you make out a pair of red eyes and a purple cloak before your ears start ringing and your vision blurs, cracking like a pane of glass until you're able to force your gaze elsewhere.

"Slowly now," warned the voice, "Your body is still trying to adjust to the temporal shift I had to bring you through."

"The… What?!" You demand, gasping for breath.

A man - no, not a man, a ghost steps into your field of vision. He is clad in purple garb, with a long cloak. Suddenly, he is young, then old, then middle aged once more. Silently, you remind yourself to avoid the apple-juice-before-bed in the future.

"I've brought you to my corner of the Ghost Zone for you to give a warning to certain... individuals. You will be my Harbinger. The sickness you now feel is a side effect."

"Your Harbinger?" You reply indignantly. "What if I say no? I'm not even dead!"

A wry chuckle escapes from the timeless ghost's lips, changing pitch disconcertingly as he flickers between aspects before you. "You have no choice. You will not deny me this."

"What makes you think I'll just play along with that?"

"If you don't, you'll die," replied the ghost nonchalantly. "Besides, I know everything."

"I'll die, huh? Let me guess, you're going to kill me?"

"No," the ghost replied honestly, "The temporal sickness will."

"Who are you anyway?!" You exclaim angrily.

"At last we reach the point in our interaction where you begin asking useful questions. I am Clockwork, Guardian of the Infinite. So, what will it be then? Will you help me, and I will send you back to your own time where you'll live, or do you wish to spend the remainder of your days here dying slowly?"

"What choice do I even have?"

"Humans always believe they have no choice in any event, always tell themselves they did what they have to do. There are thousands of possible choices in one's life. Any combination of such defines you, thus creating millions of possibilities and probabilities that make up even more alternate realities. At any point there are an infinite number of you in the universe and all it's shades. There is always a choice."

"Can we just get on with it?"

"Very well."

Clockwork floated down the hallway, the screens that covered the walls lit up as he glided past, depicting scenes of great tragedy, heartbreak and strife. Your jaw drops in wonderment at the arcane circumstances displayed before you.

"Soon after the time I took you from, a great evil will rise, by the name of Magnus. He is a forsaken son of the Phantom Pavilion - a refuge for those of us a bit betwixt between Ghost and Human - Halfas, as some call them. One such Halfa now serves as humanity's champion, and he will be your only salvation, your only buffer against Magnus' tyranny. However, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning.

"Vlad Masters will be overthrown as mayor, and soon a teenage boy by the name of Danny Fenton will be revealed to be the boy ghost Danny Phantom. Hmm - Shocker, I wonder how they ever figured that out. Although, I digress, and time is slipping away. Tucker Foley will step up to fill Vladimir's shoes, but it will not be easy for any of them by any means. Foley must repair the damage that Vlad has wrought while the Phantom squirms under the magnifying glass his true identity has invited over him.

"However, there is some respite before the impending storm - young Danielle, Danny's clone, will be taken in officially by the Fentons, and love may well still blossom in unexpected places.

"Where was I? Oh yes, the Incident. Pariah Dark's former pawn, Fright Night will appear, delivering a warning for Danny before disintegrating into dust. The Phantom and his compatriots will shrug this off, until later when another ghost from his past strikes at his friends at a "party" or whatever you people call it nowadays. Technus will be ultimately defeated by the Halfa, but not before revealing a chilling portent, speaking of a pact with a more sinister apparition.

"Once more, the Champion will ignore this warning until he is unwittingly thrown into the Ghost Zone, drawn by Magnus' evil power towards a pocket of the Ghost Zone made to trap the young hero and his partner, Sam, prompting Tucker and Valerie the Ghost Hunter to stage an impromptu rescue expedition into the Ghost Zone. This mission, however, almost ended devastatingly for the duo when Magnus begins drawing them in as well, and they barely escape. Meanwhile, in an almost perfect replica of Ancient Rome, Sam will find herself slowly turning into a Halfa, a demoralizing revelation at first, though her powers are soon put to the test in aiding their escape from Magnus' evil dimension. Sam is injured by Magnus, but some enhanced regeneration courtesy of her newfound ghost powers bring the ailing girl back to her feet in record time.

"Meanwhile, stars align for another unlikely duo when Dani runs into Dash Baxter at the railway station whilst picking her parents up. The two hit it off, forming an intriguing bond. With Sam now fully recovered, Danny will train her in combat and using her ghost abilities - and not a moment too soon, as Magnus attacks the Fenton's home. Danny will be temporarily obsolete on the account of being knocked out and suffering briefly from a case of amnesia. Magnus then kidnaps and tortures Sam and Jazz.

"They escape, however, and Magnus will try once more to kill Danny, but he is saved by yet another Halfa and transported to Phantom Pavilion, a sanctuary for Halfas. Danny will be healed, and it is revealed that Maddie and Jack, the supposed parents of Danny, are in fact not his real parents. A Halfa named Prometheus, a Prince on the Council of Royals that rule over Phantom Pavilion, is the true father of our hero. His mother, Silena, has not been seen since Danny was born.

"Not long after Danny arrives at the Halfa sanctuary, Magnus arrives also with an army. All of Danny's former enemies served the dark Ghost who, the heroes will discover when Sam goes feral and attacks Danny, the ability to hypnotize other ghosts and force them to do his bidding. Danny will overcome all odds and win the day. Danny's real name, it is revealed, is Magnus. His mother named him in honor of the evil ghost that is Danny's grandfather before he went insane. The Princes and Princess of Phantom Pavilion express their gratitude to the young heroes by giving them a proposition; take their places on the thrones of the Phantom Pavilion. Danny and Sam decline the offer, however Dani accepts on the condition that she be a diplomat to the human race and allowed to travel back and forth as necessary. Our heroes return home, and their trials are over…

"...or are they?"

You wake up in your bed, a glass of apple juice overturned on the floor, and fall quickly into a deep slumber, not forgetting the dream you'd just had for the rest of your mortal life.

Fin.

**Until the next chapter…**

**-Aurora Marie Williams**


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